Family: Euphorbiaceae
Scientific name: Ricinus communis
Common name: Castor bean
Origin: Eastern Africa

The Castor bean is a very fast-growing plant, that reaches a height of 13 meters in tropic regions. In temperate areas, the Castor bean can be grown as an annual plant, and can grow about 4 meters in a year. The plant is mostly know for the Castor oil, that has already been used as a.o. lamp oil or as a laxative since 2000 BC. The seeds contain the poisonous substance ricin. If ricin enters a human cell, the cell becomes unable to transform proteins and dies. For this reason, ricin can be of interest in developing a medicine against cancer.

The seeds somehow resemble the body of a tick, which is why the plant has been called Ricinus (Latin for tick). With its small white flowers, red spiny fruits and red-veined leaves, it is a very elegant species for the garden.

Sowing description:
Attention: The seeds are very poisonous!
The seeds can be sown from march-may directly in the garden where the plant will grow, as it doesn’t like to be repotted.

Sowing time: March-may
Level of difficulty: Easy
Minimum temperature: 0 degrees Celcius

Photo 2: Leo Michels
Photo 3: Schnobby via Wikipedia (CCA-3.0)